Sketching Animal Tracks and the Landscape
Instruction Medium: Graphite and/or Charcoal / whatever medium you like to work in.
This one-day workshop is about Deep Observation and Nature Connection.
In this workshop students will learn how to observe, identify animal tracks of the Pacific Northwest, and draw them in the landscape. Students will spend a day in a wild location within an hour's drive from Seattle and learn practical tracking and nature connection through deep observation. Many of the principles involved in tracking and drawing involve slowing down and entering into a mind-state of keen observation. Visual artists and trackers thus share a lot in common as they interact with the natural world.
Atelier instructor Mark Kang-O'Higgins will demonstrate how to use principles of observational drawing to understand tracking principles, foot morphology, and landscape sketching. In this way students can harness their powers of observation to understand and connect with the natural world.
Topics will include:
- Observational Drawing
- Proportional Measurement
- Moving from Primary to Secondary to Complex Shape Observation
- Relationship between Tracking and Drawing
- Atmospheric Perspective and Foreground, Midground, and Background
- Block-In/Shadow Mapping
- Shadow Globe sensibility
Required Supplies
All drawing materials are optional. Bring whatever you are comfortable with. Below are general suggestions. Basically bring something to draw with, and one small sketch book and a larger one if you like doing larger drawings!
These are just suggestions if you have not thought about it:
- Vine charcoal (in a variety of hardness)
- White chalk
- Charcoal pencils: Hard and medium (USA Generals is a good brand)
- Graphite pencils: for instance 6H, 4H, 2H, H, HB, 2B, 4B, 6B
- A small & larger drawing pad based on your preference eg. Strathmore Medium Drawing Pad 400 series
- Masking/drafting tape
- Kneaded eraser & a firm eraser.
- Water soluble pencils if you want to do washes.
- Small measuring tape (something easy to carry).
Hiking/outdoor gear for the day, your own lunch & water. Remember we will be out in a wilder area (most likely a park in a riparian area) so bring what you normally would for a days outing.
